Porter named POY

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference released its All-Confernece boys basketball list this week, and unsurprisingly, the list is loaded with Union area talent.

Among the players listed is New London senior Blaise Porter, who won SEISC South Player of the Year honors for the 2022-23 season.

New London’s Blaise Porter attacks the basket during the Tigers’ substate final win over Marquette Catholic on Feb. 25, 2023. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)

Porter scored 25 points per game this season, which led New London. He also finished the year with a team-leading 4.6 assists per game, as well as tallying 8.4 rebounds per game, two steals per game and one block per contest.

Porter was joined on the SEISC South first team by teammate Kade Benjamin. Junior Leo Gebauer was named to the second team.

WACO’s Cody Graber shoots over the outstretch arms of West Burlington’s Hayden Vandenberg on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 in the SEISC Shootout. (Hunter Moeller/The Union)

Van Buren County had one player named to the first team. Senior Jackson Manning represented the Warriors on the squad.

Van Buren County’s Jackson Manning handles the ball on Dec. 13, 2022, in Danville. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)

On the North squad, it was WACO that had four names on the first two teams. Junior Hunter Hughes and senior Cody Graber were named to the SEISC North first team. Junior Colton Leichty and senior Simeon Reichenbach were named to the second team.

Winfield-Mt. Union’s Abram Edwards goes up for two in the Wolves loss to New London in the two’s District final on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Hunter Moeller/The Union)

Also getting an honor for the Warriors was head coach Paul Kissell. After leading his team to an SEISC North championship, Kissell was named SEISC North Coach of the Year.

Winfield-Mount Union and Hillcrest Academy each had two first-teamers and one second-teamer.

Pekin’s Luke Long (23) leaps up to contest a shot against Highland earlier this season. (File)

WMU juniors Cam Buffington and Abram Edwards made the first team, and sophomore Jake Edwards was named to the second team. Hillcrest Academy senior Grant Bender and sophomore Seth Ours made the first team, while senior Luke Schrock made the second team.

Pekin had one player on the first team, as senior Luke Long graced the list for the Panthers. Making the second team was senior Ben Ehret.

Columbus had one second-teamer on the SEISC North list. Grant Watson represented the Wildcats.

Along with the first and second team, each SEISC squad was given two spots for honorable mentions.

SEISC North First Team: Hunter Hughes (11), WACO; Cody Graber (12), WACO; Cam Buffington (11), Winfield-Mount Union; Abram Edwards (11), Winfield-Mount Union; Grant Bender (12), Hillcrest Academy; Ty Northup (11), Louisa-Muscatine; Luke Long (12), Pekin; Jackson Lanz (11), Wapello; Seth Ours (10), Hillcrest Academy.

SEISC North Player of the year: Ty Northup (11), Louisa-Muscatine.

SEISC Coach of the Year: Paul Kissell (WACO).

SEISC North Second Team: Colton Leichty (11), WACO; Jake Edwards (10), Winfield-Mount Union; Luke Schrock (12), Hillcrest Academy; Xander Bierei (12), Louisa-Muscatine; Ben Ehret (12), Pekin; Simeon Reichenbach (12), WACO; Grant Watson (12), Columbus; Carson Belzer (11), Wapello; Drew Gauley (12), Lone Tree.

SEISC North Honorable Mnetion: Carter Loyd (11), Winfield-Mount Union; Andrew Brown (12), Winfield-Mount Union; Jace Rempel (12), Hillcrest Academy; Josiah Beachy (12), Hillcrest Academy; Isaac Oswald (12), WACO; Oleh Shtefanchuk (12), WACO; Logan Bonebrakde (12), Highland; Tyler Thompson (12), Highland; Dawson Downing (11), Louisa-Muscatine; Cline Finnegan (10), Louisa-Muscatine; Jaedon Wolver (12), Pekin; Cade Bemis (12), Pekin; Casey Short (12), Wapello; Emmett Burke (9), Lone Tree; Ethan Bockelman (11), Lone Tree; Oscar Alcala (12), Columbus; Daniel Martinez (12), Columbus.

All-SEISC Caiden Gourley (12), Danville; Luke Hellige (10), Holy Trinity; Blaise Porter (12), New London; Kade Benjamin (12), New London; Jackson Manning (12), Van Buren County; Brady Martin (11), West Burlington; Maosn Watlkins (10), West Burlington; Cole Lipper (12), Mediapolis; Carsen Jones (12), Notre Dame; Jace Figuereo (12), West Burlington.

SEISC SOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Blaise Porter (12), New London.

SEISC SOUTH COACH OF THE YEAR: Ryan O’Hern, West Burlington.

SEISC SOUTH SECOND TEAM: Brayden Wyrick (10), Central Lee; Liam Delaney (11), Notre Dame; Parker Lau (12), West Burlington; Spencer Nelson (12), Danville; Conner Gehling (11), Holy Trinity; Ben Egan (12), Mediapolis; Jackson Hutcheson (11), Mediapolis; Hunter Lillie (12), Notre Dame; Leo Gebauer (11), New London.

SEISC SOUTH HONORABLE MENTION: Cory Jones (11), Central Lee; Owen Swan (9), Central Lee; Carson Ourth (11), Danville; Titus Svoboda (11), Danville; Nick Fullenkamp (11), Holy Trinity; Adam Sobczak (10), Holy Trinity; Max Griffin (9), Mediapolis; Lance Ludens (11), Mediapolis Brendan Richey (11), New London; Rylan Martin (12), New London; Matthew Booten (12), Notre Dame; Spencer Brent (11), Notre Dame; Izaak Loeffler (10), Van Buren County; Wyatt Mertens (12), Van Buren County; Hayden Vandenberg (12), West Burlington; Ayden Figuereo (9), West Burlington.